In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
Present simple example sentences | |
---|---|
Yeah, it's a very popular restaurant. | Sí, es un restaurante muy popular. |
Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Vale, parece que no hay agresividad entre ellos. |
He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | Debe estar durmiendo, habitualmente trabaja por la noche también. |
That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | Eso es extremo, no creo que tengamos un mortero. |
No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | No, este es de la marca propia de la tienda y por eso no es caro. |
Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Sí, ¡supongo que la primavera es el peor momento para las alergias! |
I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Tengo una hermana y tiene diecinueve años. |
Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Claro, aquí lo tienen, este es el baño. |
Is that what you want to do? | ¿Es eso lo que quieres hacer? |
I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | ¡Espero que esta no sea la dirección correcta! Se ve espantosa. |
Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Espera un minuto, ambos pesan 300 gr y son de la misma marca. |
Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | ¿Quién car*jos es, qué hora es? |
Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Claro, mi nombre es Cate y mi número es 077... |
I'm an English teacher. | Soy maestra de ingles. |
I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Creo que Diego y yo somos los únicos fumadores en la casa. |
That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Perfecto, ¡creo que me gusta mucho la casa! |
Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Aquí vamos, estoy seguro que eso significa que pagan mucho menos. |
No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | ¡No, porque está loca y puede hacerle daño a Pogo o a Bear! |
Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Sí señor, pueden sentarse en esta mesa. |
But I don't know him well. | Pero no lo conozco bien. |